Tag Archives: education

I turned my gaze upward to behold a most clear star-lit sky. I felt as if he were looking out into the farthest reaches of the Milky Way. I saw planets, moons and stars up close – as if I could reach up and touch them. There were swirling nebula, shooting stars and comets, waves of light with colors unlike any on earth. Everything was filled with a deeply peaceful, dynamic energy. I felt all that I was seeing was part of a vast whole. I heard ethereal tones echoing, filling my entire being and more beautiful than any song I would ever hear.

I was filled with an immeasurable joy. I felt that I was of the same substance as the entire universe: that there was no real barrier between it and me. I realized that I was something very big and unlimited. Normal time and space did not exist. I outstretched my arms and realized I was in an open channel and could fly as high or as deep as I wished. I did not worry about falling or finding my way back.

The celestial sky looked familiar to me and I felt like I had come home. Everything was welcoming me and there was a conscious presence of the deepest love, sanctuary and joy. It was like the entire universe was alive, and that its breath and mine were one and the same. The realization dawned: This is where I’ve come from; this is who I am.

This childhood dream impacted the trajectory of my life. Perhaps deep inside each one of us there is a memory of a dream that was very special to us – that conveyed an important message to us and that carried with it feelings that would affect how we see the world. Those dreams in which we touch the core of life are like celestial emissaries – singing the song of our souls – which can become like beacons when we get lost in the trials and tribulations of the world. In my case this dream has always reminded me of what is important in my life – and what is important is often hidden from normal sight, yet not far away at all

Beyond all of our to do’s, our tasks, our goals and the plans, there is no more important thing that this very moment we are in. This moment we are in will never come again. And while this moment may be challenging or filled with pain, loss or frustration, it is a moment that belongs to us. To push it away or look past it to a “better time” might miss the message or gift that this moment brings. Trying to be present to the moment we are in is not just healthy for ourselves; it is ultimately the best way to nurture our children and to reap the greatest benefits of being parents and teachers.

The human mind is not very accustomed to being present to each moment, however. It is programmed to proceed in a linear fashion from one thought to the next, and in like fashion we move from one task to the next. Our culture is accomplishment driven, and we are measured by what we produce and get done. Our lives are geared toward getting results. And each result we get drives us on toward the next bottom line, the next goal. We know this string of activity is the nature of the world we live in, but we also know it is not the ultimate meaning of life.

In our ordinary workday consciousness, the spaces in between tasks, like the spaces in between thoughts, are not that valuable to us. They are the interludes between what we are doing now and what we need to do next. But in the realm of spiritual awareness and growth, it is those very spaces that take on significance. They become a refuge, a gateway to new levels of awareness about ourselves and about our lives. Inside those spaces is where we are reminded of who we really are where we hold what is most important to us. In order for us not to live out the movie “Groundhog Day”, where we are mindlessly repeating the same tasks day after day, week after week and year after year, we need to intentionally shift from our “normal operating system” to our “pause in awareness mode”.

To stay in touch with the core of who we are, we must try to be cognizant that we are moving from a space in which thoughts are important and necessary to a mode of being where thoughts are like the tips of waves. It is what lies in the depths beneath the waves that we want to reach when we are practicing awareness. For those brief periods of time when we are pausing in awareness, our normal thoughts are no longer that important to us. We shouldn’t try to push them away, but just recognize that there is a level of experience deeper than our thoughts – and that deeper level of experience is what we are aiming for.

To try and find our own inner child, we need time to ourselves. This is not being selfish. It is being wise and practical. Ultimately spending more time with our own “inner child” will only help us to be more patient, loving, and inspiring caregivers. If our intentions are aimed at the healthy and balanced growth and development of our children, then we must nurture ourselves first. Just like they say on the airplane – “put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then put on your child’s mask.”

From spiritual calm and centeredness come emotional calm and mental clarity. If we are giving ourselves the soul-nourishment we need whenever we have the opportunity, then everything else will work itself out. Raising healthy and happy children takes energy. The batteries of our personal energy are located within – especially in our quiet spaces of inner awareness.

Consciously trying to create a time and a space for our own personal reflection can be an important step in expanding the possibilities for growth and empowerment in our lives. Create a special area in the house that is especially intended for your own personal reflection. In this special place, you can set up a shelf, a small table, a rug or a cushion. You can include items such as inspiring pictures, a candle, flowers or other items that will help foster a peaceful atmosphere. Regardless of how small the place, the most important thing is take a few minutes each day to tune out of our ordinary mind and tune into a higher and deeper level of awareness. After a short while of regular practice, we will feel the benefits: greater peace, poise, and patience, as well as greater contentment.

Practice Two: Reflecting on our dreams:

You may have had a dream in your childhood that was special to you. If you cannot remember any special childhood dreams, stay attuned when you first awake and see if you can remember a dream from the previous night. All dreams “bad” or “good” may have some meaning or value to us, but the dreams that that leave us with a positive, energizing and inspiring feeling can provide us with “soul nourishment” that we can bring with us into our daily lives. Take time to sit in your personal reflection space and write or draw the images, feelings or insights that come from the dream you had. Pause and close your eyes and sit with that awareness for a few moments. Take a deep breath or two. Are dreams not simply another realm of experience where we relate to a different, deeper part of ourselves?

Reflection Quote: “That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life.” -Maria Montessori

Postscript: Later when I was about 12, I remember hearing my parents talking in hushed tones late one night about how little money they had. How would they afford rent? Groceries? School supplies? Listening to the concern and despair in their voices I was filled with worry and helplessness. I started to wonder what would happen if we had to move out of our house? What if we really didn’t have enough to eat and we would all go hungry? As I lay in bed and my mind was spinning anxiously in this way, out of nowhere a wave of calm came over me. A vivid memory of my dream came back to me. I heard a message from within me, saying – “Do not worry about anything. Remember the source you came from. It will always provide for you.”

A September 2, 2016 article in IB World magazine outlines 15 traits that teachers themselves identified as being the characteristics that drive their success. In reading through these traits I am struck with how similar they are to the qualities Maria Montessori sought to inspire in teachers through what she referred to as the “spiritual preparation of the teacher.”

In order to be truly successful, teachers need to cultivate traits such as curiosity, enthusiasm, a positive attitude, the ability to plan, communication skills and reflection. They also need to practice self-care, being a good role model and being accessible to their students. In the end, teachers should aim “not just to help students reach their potential, but help them to surpass their potential.”

This underscores what I have observed during my 30 years as a Montessori educator, administrator, teacher trainer and school consultant: Being a teacher is a path as much as it is a profession; it requires constant work on one’s self. As educators strive to be the best people we can be, our students learn to do the same. Ultimately in its highest form, education is a process of personal growth for everyone involved.

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In a recent article in the Atlantic, and in his book Originals, award winning educator and bestselling author Adam Grant describes how we can raise “ original thinkers”.

He says, “Too much structure, order, and discipline can constrain creativity, but so can too little. In a classroom with extensive constraints, kids don’t learn to think for themselves. Give kids all the freedom in the world, and they can get caught in choice paralysis, lack frameworks for figuring out how to approach a problem, or develop plenty of novel ideas but fail to implement them. I think balance comes in alternating different pedagogical approaches. Lecture for 10 minutes, then let kids develop their own way of teaching the lesson learned and present it in small groups”

When I read this it struck me that these words could have come right out of one of Maria Montessori’s books. Montessori’s concept of freedom is frequently misunderstood and sometimes misapplied. Montessori believed strongly in a balance between freedom and structure – or more precisely she believed in freedom within structure.

Dr. Maria Montessori envisioned an order in the design of the classroom where everything has its place and where there is a clear sequence of what comes next. The order she promoted was also to be found in the trust and relationship between teacher and student in regard to an agreed-upon set of goals. And she believed that there was a self-organizational principle at work in each of us – a drive to be masters of our destiny.

Contrary to what some people think, Montessori did not believe in unfettered freedom. She did believe that students needed a significant amount of choice in order to develop the life skills of planning, goal setting and self-discipline. Today in Montessori (or non-Montessori) schools across the country, we see that when students are allowed some measure of choice in selecting their work – as well as some choice in when they want to do it and with whom – they are able to develop building 21st century competencies such as organizational skills, big picture thinking, creative problem solving and collaboration.

And it seems that Adam Grant concurs with another central tenet of Montessori philosophy – the vital role of curiosity. In his book Originals, Grant says that curiosity is the driver of original thinking, and that this ultimately leads to a questioning of why things are the way they are. “When we become curious about the dissatisfying “defaults” in our world, we begin to recognize that most of them were created by people. And this awareness gives us the courage to contemplate how we can change them.”

According to Maria Montessori, if students are told what to do each minute of each day, there is no room for them to explore their key interests and passions – and this takes the very heart out of education. It also kills curiosity – and blocks possible pathways to learning and social change that curiosity may naturally open.

Indeed if we look at the current testing culture of most public schools, what is being tested is usually not the higher order thinking skills students will need to succeed. Perhaps even more concerning is that the current testing culture is anathema to the kind of innovative thinking and creative problem solving needed to advance our society and bring solutions to the challenges we face as a species.

In Montessori, facts are important as they relate to other facts – and students build higher order thinking skills by connecting facts into concepts. So assessment in a typical Montessori school is reflective of these goals and is more complex than a simple test of content covered. In the Montessori approach, how facts are organized and presented is as important as the knowledge of the facts themselves – and this how is where the originality is fostered.

Montessori evaluations may include presentations with peer feedback as well as exhibits, projects and portfolios. This is in addition to quizzes, exams and standardized tests that Montessori schools may implement. In the end, what is central in a Montessori classroom are the ideas of the student – and what is valued most is when these ideas can be expressed in a cogent and effective fashion.

Parents whose children attend Montessori schools can be conflicted about their choice. On the one hand they love the fact that Montessori is fostering their child’s passion for learning and his/her innate curiosity – and that their child is in a value based program that advocates for the voice of each child to be heard. At the same time parents rightfully want to ensure that their child will not be left behind in an achievement gap and that they will be able to perform well on traditional tests to enter the best colleges and universities.

It turns out that parents are not the only ones faced with this dilemma. Adam Grant points out that that high achievement and originality are not always in alignment. In Originals he says for example that “child prodigies, it turns out, rarely go on to change the world. When psychologists study history’s most eminent and influential people, they discover that many of them weren’t unusually gifted as children.” “Although child prodigies are often rich in both talent and ambition, what hold them back from moving the world forward is that they don’t learn to be original.”

As an educator of 30 years, I have worked with super high achieving students for whom academics came easy – as well as students who had to work extremely hard to make it through academically. I have seen both kinds of students – and those in between – find success and make a positive impact on the world at the same time. My advice to parents is to support your children in achieving as highly as they are capable, but always be vigilant to keep their flame of curiosity burning. Honoring the originality of our children will always be the most important kind of support we can give them.

Maria Montessori was far ahead of her time, and today’s scientists and thought leaders are now re-discovering the power of her ideas and observations – especially when it comes to unleashing the power of the individual.

-Andrew Kutt

For more on Adam Grant’s interview and publications see the link below to the Atlantic article on Educating an Original Thinker or read his great book Originals published by Viking

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Right now, people are faced with crises all over the world. While the people of the Middle East fight a life and death struggle to overcome tyranny, while the world is still recovering from natural disasters in Haiti, Kashmir and Pakistan, and while we grapple with global warming and a teetering world economy, we seem to be feeling vulnerable and more fragile than ever as individuals and as a species. Brene Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston who has studied vulnerability for the past decade explores this feeling very poignantly in a recent TED presentation.

In her presentation, Brown encourages all of us to “embrace vulnerability” – a key ingredient to becoming what she calls “ wholehearted” people. Her research indicates that the vast majority of people who are happy, feel a deep sense of worthiness. Brown goes on to describe the key components of this sense of worthiness: People who have it tend to have the courage to be imperfect. They have compassion – first toward themselves. And they are able to cultivate and keep a sense of connection. Brown says we’d all be better off if we “let go of who we think we should be and become more of who we are.”

In reflecting on this video—which to be honest moved me to tears—I can’t get past the thought of how vulnerable we all feel at this time in history. Moreover, it seems that rather than confront our vulnerability and explore why we feel this way, we might well prefer to deny it or think we can escape the feeling altogether.

Ironically, while we have a full plate of crises and challenges here on Earth, humanity is taking a renewed and keen interest in planets far away and other celestial phenomena. In other words, if the here and now is too painful, why not just focus our attention on something else— the further removed from our current situation, the better?

For example, there is the plight of Pluto. According to a recent CNN.com article, “ For one of the farthest, coldest places in the solar system, Pluto sure stirs a lot of hot emotions right here on earth.”

It was three years ago that the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto from one of the nine planets in our solar system to a diminished dwarf planet classification— a decision that clearly raised the hackles of its fans and which they are fighting to this day with fierce determination. Among the various initiatives of “Plutophiles”, earlier this year the Illinois Senate adopted a resolution declaring that Pluto was “unfairly downgraded” and demanded restoring it’s “full planetary status”. Not to be outdone by another state, New Mexico’s House of Representatives proclaimed on February 18, 2009 “Pluto is a planet in New Mexico Day.” If you want to join in on these pro-Pluto efforts, there are numerous ways to do so including printing out a Pluto Fan Club card, which allows you to declare, “ In my heart, Pluto will always be a planet.”

Moreover, NASA has discovered 1,200 other possible planets orbiting other stars in the Milky Way. This historic announcement was the result of the initial phase of the Kepler mission, a space observatory that covers only 1/400 of the sky and is only four months old. Extrapolating the numbers over the 3-½ year lifespan of the mission suggests there are about 20,000 planets in the habitable zone within 3,000 light years of Earth. “For the first time in human history we have a pool of potentially rocky habitable zone planets,” Sara Seager of MIT told the New York Times. “ This is the first big step forward in answering the ancient question, “ How common are other Earths?”

For me, the NASA discovery raises more questions than just the perennial “Is there life on other planets?” question. For one thing, if we did find intelligent life on another planet and we were able to communicate with them, what would we say? “Hello there, please understand that things are a bit untidy on Earth right now, but we are in the process of cleaning things up.” How would we feel about a set of alien eyes, and presumably a whole new planet’s collective moral sensibilities evaluating our evolutionary progress? Would such an occurrence inspire us to right our wrongs and strive toward reaching a higher standard as brothers and sisters of one human family? Would the discovery of some hipper, more savvy and more prepared civilization cause us to cash in our chips and forsake our Earthly home for better digs? Or would it inspire us to renew our commitment to each other and whip ourselves into shape?

As a huge Star Trek fan, or “Trekkie” who was fascinated with astronomy since childhood, I have nothing against space exploration, though I wish it would not cost so much. However, these days I am much more interested in what’s going on here, right in our own backyard of the galaxy. With my work at the Oneness-Family School, I am trying to do my small part to ensure that if that day of reckoning comes— and we come face–to-face with our alien counterparts— we will have a harmonious, clean and vibrant planet to show them. Empowering students to “find their own voice” is the goal I work toward every day. Because I believe, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, that the “greatest gift we can give the world is a portion of thyself.” In other words, if we can help a child to reach toward his/her fullest potential, then I know the planet will automatically become a more beautiful place.

Brown also shared in her TED presentation the four key choices that whole-hearted people make:

They let themselves be deeply seen.

They love with their whole hearts.

They practice gratitude and joy.

They feel, “ I am enough.”

I daresay if we practiced these four things we’d be taking some serious steps in the right direction toward individual “wholeness” and planetary harmony. And regarding “embracing vulnerability”, what other choice do we really have—as individuals or as a collective humanity?

Maria Montessori provides valuable insight on the role and impact of education, “The education that will lead the way to a new humanity has one end alone; leading the individual and society to a higher stage of development. This concept involves many factors and may seem obscure, but it becomes clearer if we realize that mankind has to fulfill a collective mission on Earth, a mission involving all of humanity and therefore each and every human being.”

Kelly’s experience and stroke of uncanny good fortune remind us all that standing here on planet Earth and gazing upward toward outer space is indeed a pretty cool experience. This particular planet is the only habitable one we currently know about for sure. Moreover, it is the only one we are in charge of keeping. So, I say let’s get going and make Mother Earth the envy of this corner of the galaxy! But as we collaborate anew, let’s be mindful that recent solar flare eruptions on the sun could make telecommunications difficult. 🙂